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What has athletics done for me?

Ever since I was young athletics has always had a huge part to play in my life and more importantly Celbridge athletic club has been a huge part of my life. I have been a member of Celbridge athletic club for the past 11/12 years. I was always up at the track training once I was old enough to join the club and despite being too young to compete in competitions I was always brought along to the competitions. During my childhood while things were a bit rocky and often uncertain athletics was the thing which I could always count on. Our trips to competitions during the weekends would be our family time, my two brothers, my mam and dad and me. Once I was old enough to compete in all the competitions I was at every competition be it track and field or cross country I was there. If I was a sub on a relay team I was there if it was raining I was there, If I was sick I was there.

It took me a while to find the event for me and so for many many years of athletics I went to competitions and lost, rarely placing and winning medals and often coming last in all my races and events but despite that I was accepted, wanted, cared about and loved by many of the people in Celbridge athletic club. I considered them family and I still do. I am proud to say that Celbridge athletic club are like a second family to me.No matter where my life takes me in the future I will never forget the love, the friendships and the fun that came out of being a member of Celbridge athletic club.

While I was very sick and in hospital athletics was one of the main things that kept me going. I was able to hold onto the knowledge that I would be able to go training again and forget everything else that was going on. I was often allowed leave on the weekends and when I could I would go to athletics. The doctors in the hospital knew how important athletics was for me and even allowed me leave during the week once or twice so I could go to training.

Athletics gives me a break from the stresses and strains of life. It has had a such a huge impact on me that athletics was once a coping method and a distraction method for me while I was self-harming. If it wasn't for athletics there would be a very high chance that I could still be self-harming. So if you are in a situation like I was and engaging in self-harm maybe take a look at some of the hobbies you are doing and see how they can help you overcome your self-harm.

I never though athletics would help me to reduce my self-harm but once it was pointed out to me that it might I found that it really did. When I went into hospital I was in a dark place and was willing to try anything to overcome my self-harm and I was surprised to find that the things I love most in life and enjoy could have been the very things that helped me overcome self-harm. Don't wait to try new things for overcoming your self-harm, I waited and ended up in hospital. Doing the things you love to do when you get urges to self-harm helped me to overcome my cutting and there is no reason why it wont work for you.

If you are self-harming just remember that there is support out there. If you need support check out my need help page to see of the support services that you can avail of. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you are self-harming, there is help out there, things do get better and there is always light at the end of the tunnel.